Love 1

Galatians 5:22-26

Several years ago my mother had two apple trees in her side yard. Unable to take care of them on her own, I was often asked to come spray them with insecticide and to tend the trees with pruning and raking. It did not take long to realize that in order to get a good harvest of apples, you had to put a lot of work in the care of the tree.

We begin this year with a series of messages on the fruit of the Spirit, based on today’s passage. What are the nine qualities of the fruit of the Spirit? What do those who belong to Christ do? What should believers, those who live by the Spirit, do? What should they not do?

Paul’s letter to the church at Galatia is a letter that could probably apply to most churches today. At the beginning of the letter (Galatians 1:6-9) Paul addresses the fact that these believers are beginning to stray from their faith, following preaching and teaching which is, no doubt, easier to accept and live out.

But like the apple tree, these believers need to tend their spirituality. Fruit is not easily grown nor does it mature over night. Fruit requires attention and time to grow to maturity, to ripen, to become worthwhile.

So it is with faith. The fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of our faith. We can have faith the moment we believe. In that moment of conversion (Wesley called it Justifying Grace) our sins are swept away and we are given faith – a relationship with God. Now we must tend our faith, grow it, strengthen it, deepen it.

In Advent we looked at love, joy and peace. What is different here? In Advent you receive love, joy and peace. Now we will be talking about something that is part of you, something you live – not something you receive.

Others have also pointed out that it is not the “fruits” (plural) of the Spirit, but the “fruit” (singular) of the Spirit. These nine qualities are not a smorgasbord to choose from, but are all parts of a single whole. You cannot choose to live out love, joy and peace, but ignore gentleness and self-control.

When we live by the Spirit we put to death – crucify – the sinful nature (Galatians 5:19-21a) and keep in step with the Spirit. As we keep in step with the Spirit, our faith produces a fruit which has as its parts love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

The first evidence of a fruitful Spirit is the ability to love. The word used in the Greek is agape – unconditional love, not physical or sexual, but sacrificial and caring love. Perhaps the hardest to do, it is the most prominent, the first mentioned.

If we are unable to love others unselfishly, how can we possibly show any evidence of walking with the Spirit? If we are to be believers, children of God, we need to adopt the attitude of Christ Jesus and truly love others with a generous, pure love.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Of the nine qualities of the fruit of the Spirit, which do you feel you already exhibit?

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